It was a tough day for Megan Grant in the batting cage. She was 14 years old and switching from baseball to softball and when she didn’t get the result she wanted, bats were kicked and helmets were thrown.
But she was overcome with realization when her actions shattered a window.
“Things that were allowed in baseball just will never fly in softball,” Grant said. “Things like, if you strike out throwing your helmet, kicking your bat in softball, you’re crossed off the coach’s list when you’re being scouted.”
The internal shift was the starting point of an ongoing mental health journey, even as she reaches new heights as a stud hitter in the lineup for the sixth-ranked UCLA softball team.
“I’ve always had such high expectations for myself in terms of wanting to be the best at anything that I pursued,” the junior said. “That was a turning point. Shifting over to softball changed the trajectory of my life.”
Grant earned her second straight Big Ten Player of the Week honor on Monday after hitting three grand slams in four games. She took over as the NCAA leader in both home runs and RBIs with 22 and 68, respectively.
Last Friday, she tied Stacey Nuveman as the fastest Bruins to reach 20 home runs in a single season. Nuveman also holds the single-season home run record with 31.
The Bruins (40-5 overall, 12-1 Big Ten) have been productive up and down the lineup, starting with leadoff hitter Jessica Clements. The Cal Poly transfer and 2024 Big West Player of the Year owns a .409 batting average and a .483 on-base percentage.
She’s been in the leadoff spot for almost her entire career, but having powerful bats like Jordan Woolery’s and Grant’s behind her has upped the intensity.
“I do feel a little bit of pressure to get on, but I wouldn’t say it’s bad pressure,” Clements said. “It’s the good pressure, because I know if I get on, the odds of me scoring are very, very high.”
Clements was intimidated by Grant when she came on her first official visit over the summer. Her reputation for locking in and smoking pitches preceded her – they don’t call her “Chef Meg” for nothing.
“And right when I interacted with her, she was the biggest goofball,” Clements said. “She has the sweetest heart, is obviously into the game, but also just very passionate about being a good friend and hanging out with her teammates and making people feel special.”
From the outside looking in, Grant upheld her reputation in her sophomore year by slashing .335/.406/.557. But she wasn’t living up to her own self-imposed high standards.
“All of it, I realized, was mental,” she said.
The UCLA coaching staff and Dr. Armando “Mondo” Gonzalez, who provides sports psychology services to the team, listened. Grant journaled and dedicated time to her faith. She talked about sports and life and her childhood with Mondo.
“There’s a lot of things that (student-athletes) do that we feel may go unnoticed and a lot of thoughts that may happen,” Grant said. “And sometimes you don’t know where to put those thoughts, and even me talking about it – I feel like it’s just an opening. I don’t want to be afraid at the end of the day to tell one of the coaches how I truly feel.”
Associate head coach Lisa Fernandez, who had her own illustrious playing career, has put in extra work with Grant for the past three seasons. She’s supported her through the ups and downs, emphasizing a process-over-outcome mindset throughout it all.
In the most recent offseason, she reminded Grant that softball isn’t about being perfect. Fernandez also helped Grant develop the skills to become an educated hitter – someone who knows what the pitcher might be dealing, what pitch to look for, and what the job is in that moment.
All the lessons were covered in a layer of unconditional love.
“She’s a professional hitter. Her training is unparalleled,” Fernandez said. “And trusting that training that you’re spending hours on your own time doing to know that it’s going to pay off in the biggest moments.
“You don’t have to do more. That’s an important part, is realizing that sometimes we want it so bad that it actually works out in a negative. And she’s now realizing that she doesn’t have to do more. She’s freaking Megan Grant. She’s amazing.”
No. 6 UCLA at No. 5 OREGON
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Jane Sanders Stadium, Eugene, Oregon
TV: Big Ten Network
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